Blender 5.0, the latest version of the popular open-source 3D graphics software, is now available for download, offering significant enhancements and new features. This release emphasizes improved capabilities for displaying HDR and wide gamut colors on Linux systems, specifically when using Wayland with the Vulkan backend.
Key features of Blender 5.0 include:
- Support for HDR: Users can enjoy high dynamic range color displays, provided they have a compatible monitor and have configured the Vulkan backend within Blender’s settings.
- Color Space Advancements: A working color space for Blend files has been implemented, alongside a new AgX HDR view and a Convert to Display compositor node for enhanced color grading in HDR video exports.
- New Visual Elements: Users will find additions such as Rec.2100-PQ and Rec.2100-HLG displays for HDR video color grading, as well as new ACES 1.3 and 2.0 views that serve as alternatives to existing views.
- Enhanced Animation Tools: A new "Jump Time by Delta" operator allows users to navigate forwards or backwards in time by set increments, while updates to Curve drawing bring better support for the new Curves object type.
Additional features include:
- A "Cylinder" option for curve display types for a thicker line appearance.
- Integration of the Zstd compression algorithm for point caches.
- A new Curve Data panel in edit mode for editing built-in curve attributes.
User interface improvements feature drag-and-drop support within the Shape Keys list, new context menu entries for workspace tabs, and the ability to collapse paint pressure curves. Theme customization has also been simplified, with over 300 theme settings unified or removed for easier customization.
Noteworthy changes include the addition of a base mesh bundle for realistic skeleton assets, new Geometry Nodes-based modifiers, and a volume rendering algorithm based on null scattering.
With Blender 5.0 being a major update, certain legacy features have been removed, including support for older Intel Macs and pre-2.50 animation formats, while the maximum length for data-block names has been increased to 255 bytes. New GPU requirements stipulate that at least NVIDIA GeForce 900 series or AMD GCN 4th generation GPUs are necessary for optimum performance.
For full details on the changes made in Blender 5.0, users are encouraged to consult the release notes and download the new version from the official Blender website.